A smart TV for the great outdoors

The SunBriteTV Veranda Series 3 offers a colorful picture and Android TV smart features in a rugged, weatherproof design built for outdoor use.

Most TVs aren’t built to survive the elements, let alone pouring rain, blowing snow, flying sand, or scorching sun. SunBriteTV’s Veranda Series 3, on the other hand, is designed for the outdoors. In addition, it offers a few key advantages over previous Veranda models, including a brighter and much more colorful picture with support for Dolby Vision, as well as a full suite of Android TV features such as streaming media services, Google Assistant voice control, and the ability to mirror your phone. At $2,898.95, the 55-inch SB-V3-55-4KHDR-BL model we tested is notably pricier than even high-end indoor TVs like the LG C2 Evo OLED ($1,799.99), but you're paying a premium for a TV you can use outside without worry. For its visual performance and rugged build, the SunBriteTV Veranda Series 3 earns our Editors’ Choice award for outdoor TVs.

Because it’s an outdoor TV, the Veranda 3 is much beefier than indoor-only TVs of similar screen sizes. A black powder-coated aluminum body nearly four inches thick encloses the 55-inch model we tested, while 0.8-inch-wide (sides and top) and 1.5-inch-wide (bottom) bezels surround the screen. A Sunbrite logo on the bottom bezel features a blue indicator LED and an infrared sensor.

A set of standard VESA screw mounts sit on the back, but the Veranda 3 doesn’t come with a stand. This is a common omission for outdoor TVs, because manufacturers assume that you will securely mount them on a wall or some other permanent stationary object, rather than setting them up on a table. SunBriteTV offers several different options for wall mounting, but no table stands. Third-party TV stands generally cost between $50 and $200.

A thick, permanently attached power cable extends from the back of the TV. All of the other ports are in a large recess on the right side of the back that's secured by a gasketed door with three thumb screws. You get four HDMI ports, a USB port, a second USB port only for service, two 3.5mm outputs, a 3.5mm composite input, an optical audio output, an Ethernet port, and an antenna/cable connector. A cutout at the bottom of the recess with a thick foam sealing lets cables run out and prevents moisture from reaching the ports.

The rectangular black remote is plastic, but quite sturdy, and feels heavier in the hand than similarly sized remotes for indoor TVs. Four screws hold the battery door closed, and another 12 secure the rest of the remote’s body to protect the electronics inside from the elements. A circular navigation pad sits near the top of the remote, with power, input, and Google Assistant buttons. A pinhole microphone is at the top, too. Below the navigation pad are volume and channel rockers, playback controls, and dedicated service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Peacock, Tubi, and YouTube. The remote can connect to the TV via Bluetooth, so you don’t need to point it directly at the screen for commands to register.

The Veranda 3 features an IP55 rating, which means it can withstand dust and water jets. And if it gets dirty, it's fine to hose it off. Just make sure to properly close the door that covers the ports; any moisture can jeopardize those delicate connections.

As mentioned, the Veranda 3 uses Android TV for its interface and connected features, whereas previous Veranda models lacked any built-in smart TV platform.

Android TV is powerful, capable system that's nearly identical to the slightly newer Google TV platform, with all of the same apps and features. All major video streaming services are available, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, Twitch, and YouTube. You can also mirror your Android phone or tablet (or any Chrome tab) to the panel via Google Cast.

You get access to Google Assistant, too. Speak to the microphone on the remote to control the TV, search for content, get general information like weather forecasts, and control compatible smart home devices.

The SunBriteTV Veranda 3 is a 4K TV with a 60Hz refresh rate. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

We test TVs using a Klein K-80 colorimeter(Opens in a new window) , a Murideo SIX-G signal generator(Opens in a new window) , and Portrait Displays’ Calman software(Opens in a new window) using methodology based on Imaging Science Foundation’s(Opens in a new window) calibration techniques. For our initial test, we set the TV in Outdoor Day mode and the color temperature to the warmest setting. With an SDR signal, the Veranda 3 shows a peak brightness of 477.279cd/m^2 with a full-screen white field and 707.696cd/m^2 with an 18% white field. Black levels are very high at 0.935cd/m^2 for an SDR contrast ratio of 757:1.

With an HDR signal and the TV set in HDR Theater mode, peak brightness stays nearly the same at 484.481cd/m^2 for a full-screen white field and 722.534cd/m^2 for an 18% field. However, black level drops down to 0.199cd/m^2 for a much better 3,631:1 contrast ratio. These contrast numbers would be terrible for an indoor TV, but the value of standard contrast numbers is different here; outdoor TVs are built for environments where strong, variable ambient light is much more common, and where there’s less possibility to set up a properly dark or consistently lit environment like a conventional home theater.

The Veranda 3 is a "full shade" TV, which means it should be bright enough to show a visible, colorful picture on a bright day when it’s out of direct sunlight. SunBriteTV’s full-sun Pro 2 TVs ($7,038.95 for a 55-inch model) are designed to get much brighter, and those models (as well as the partial-sun Signature 2 TVs, $4,868.95 for a 55-inch model) feature stronger anti-glare screen treatments. (In terms of pricing, the 55-inch versions of Furrion’s full shade Aurora and Samsung’s partial shade Terrace TVs are respectively $1,999.99 and $3,499.99.)

On a cloudy but bright day, with the Veranda 3 directly facing a large window, the screen was bright and colorful enough to easily see, even despite a few outside reflections at some viewing angles.

Speaking of color, the Veranda 3 impressed us with its range and relative accuracy. The above charts show the TV’s color performance with an SDR signal in Outdoor Day mode with the warmed color temperature setting compared against Rec.709 broadcast standards, and with an HDR signal in HDR Theater mode compared against DCI-P3 digital cinema standards. The SDR picture looks fairly accurate, but oversaturated; it also suffers a bit from some greenish drift in cyans and reddish drift in magentas.

The HDR color performance is better, covering an appreciable but not full span of the DCI-P3 color space and keeping most colors properly balanced. Cyan still inched just slightly green, but not to a significant degree.

BBC’s Planet Earth II looks excellent on the Veranda 3. The greens of plants and feathers really pop without looking cartoonish, while fine details such as fur and bark come through sharply. Subjects in shade, particularly animals with dark fur, can occasionally look a bit washed out or muddy depending on how bright the entire frame is and the setting of the local dimming.

The reds of Deadpool’s costume in the opening scenes of Deadpool look balanced and vibrant under the overcast lighting. The flames in the burning lab fight scene look bright and stand out against the darker parts of the scene. Plenty of detail comes through in the shadows, but once again, they sometimes look a little washed out.

The party scenes in The Great Gatsby reveal the Veranda 3’s limited contrast and high black levels particularly well. The cuts and textures of black suits come through clearly in most frames, but appear overly bright in the process. In darker frames, those same suits can look muddy, with the lapels nearly vanishing. Skin tones appear balanced and natural in all conditions.

If you plan to do any outdoor gaming, the Veranda 3 is surprisingly adept, with support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and AMD FreeSync.

Using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix(Opens in a new window) , we measured an input lag of 8.6 milliseconds, lower than the 10ms threshold we use to determine if a TV is among the best for gaming. Make sure the Veranda is in Game mode, though; in HDR Theater mode, input lag jumps to 86ms.

SunBriteTV's Veranda Series 3 brings notable changes to the line, including a brighter picture, a wider range of colors, support for Dolby Vision, and Android TV smart features. At $2,900, the 55-inch model we tested may seem quite expensive compared with similarly sized indoor TVs, but that price is fairly standard for ruggedized TVs. Considering that a light drizzle would ruin a typical TV almost immediately, the extra cost is worth it. And that durability, in combination with a colorful picture, makes the Veranda Series 3 an Editors’ Choice award winner.

If you don't need an outdoor TV and just want the best picture quality possible, the LG C2 Evo OLED TV ($1,799 for a 55-inch model) is our current top pick, while the Hisense U8G ($949.99 for a 55-inch panel) and the TCL 6-Series 4K Google TV ($949.99 for a 55-inch version) are among our favorite affordable models. Each of those TVs offer far superior contrast and color performance compared with the Veranda Series 3—just don’t take them out in the rain.

The SunBriteTV Veranda Series 3 offers a colorful picture and Android TV smart features in a rugged, weatherproof design built for outdoor use.

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I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).

Home theater technology (TVs, media streamers, and soundbars)

Smart speakers and smart displays

I test TVs with a Klein K-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, a HDFury Diva 4K HDMI matrix, and Portrait Displays’ Calman software. That’s a lot of complicated equipment specifically for screens, but that doesn’t cover what I run on a daily basis.

I use an Asus ROG Zephyr 14 gaming laptop as my primary system for both work and PC gaming (and both, when I review gaming headsets and controllers), along with an aging Samsung Notebook 7 as my portable writing station. I keep the Asus laptop in my home office, with a Das Keyboard 4S and an LG ultrawide monitor attached to it. The Samsung laptop stays in my bag, along with a Keychron K8 mechanical keyboard, because I’m the sort of person who will sit down in a coffee shop and bust out not only a laptop, but a separate keyboard. Mechanical just feels better.

For my own home theater, I have a modest but bright and accurate TCL 55R635 TV and a Roku Streambar Pro; bigger and louder would usually be better, but not in a Brooklyn apartment. I keep a Nintendo Switch dock connected to it, along with a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X so I can test any peripheral that comes out no matter what system it’s for. I also have a Chromecast With Google TV for general content streaming.

As for mobile gear, I’m surprisingly phone-ambivalent and have swapped between iPhones and Pixels from generation to generation. I favor the iPhone for general snapshots when I need to take pictures of products or cover events, but I also have a Sony Alpha A6000 camera for when I feel like photo walking.

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